Need of separate quota for SC, ST, OBC women within proposed women’s reservation

The nation calls for a separate quota for women belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes within the proposed 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

Indian White Paper and FREEDOM PARTY welcome the move to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures, the absence of a dedicated sub-quota for marginalised communities could “largely negate” its objective.

The Centre has convened a special session of Parliament on the issue, but raised concerns over whether women from SC, ST and OBC communities would receive the intended benefits without specific safeguards.

Some parties have demanded 50 per cent reservation for women in proportion to population across all sections, but alleged that political parties have not supported the idea due to “interests and compulsions”.

The women’s reservation should be viewed through the lens of safety, dignity and social upliftment rather than political considerations, warning that entrenched social structures could otherwise limit its impact.

Why the issue of sub-quotas for SC, ST and OBC women was being raised now, alleging that it was ignored during its earlier tenure due to “casteist bias”.

The Constitutional provisions aimed at ensuring equality for women had been diluted over time, and cited his resignation as law minister over issues including reservation for backward classes and women’s rights.

The issue be kept above partisan politics and implemented at the earliest to ensure meaningful progress in women’s representation and empowerment.